Porthmeor Beach, St Ives

The westernmost St Ives beach – where the Atlantic swell breaks – is popular with surfers, and is a great foodie’s beach.
St Ives Surf School provide bespoke surf lessons and coaching, paddleboarding tuition, sea kayaking tours and coasteering adventures as good as anywhere in the UK.
Blue Flag – lifeguards, toilets, great takeaways and restaurants – the beach front pods are brilliant.  A lively spot with DJs in the summer evenings.

Carbis Bay

Beersheba’s picturesque local beach has a Mediterranean feel, and is home to Ocean Sports for aquatic activities – kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and up to five adventurers can even try a coastal tour on a Hawaiian canoe.
Blue Flag status with lifeguards, beach cafe, upmarket restaurants and toilets.
Just over 1.5 miles walk, all downhill to get there, but a steep climb back.

Porthminster Beach, St Ives

A much-loved St Ives beach, with excellent facilities and gorgeous turquoise water for swimming.
Easy to get to either by bus or train as the train station sits above the beach.
Blue Flag – lifeguards, toilets, St Ives’ top beach cafe, takeaways, beach shop and bars make your day on the beach easy.
SUPs, kayaks, windbreaks, parasols & deckchairs to hire.

Hayle Beach

Hayle really does have “three miles of golden sands” as its sign proclaims and stretches round to the Red River at Godrevy.  Near the Hayle estuary are dunes and a sandy beach. Avoid swimming or SUPping near the estuary due to dangerous tidal currents. The estuary is a wildlife reserve.
At the other end – Gwithian, there is fantastic surfing and the Surf Academy.
Facilities vary along the stretch of beach but lifeguards and toilets on some sections.

Godrevy Beach

A great beach for both surfing and rockpooling, overlooked by Godrevy Lighthouse and owned by the National Trust it has a great view from the opposite side of St Ives Bay.
Go seal spotting from the cliff-tops or scramble on the rocks.
Godrevy Cafe coffee shop, toilets, lifeguards and great views.
The nearby Rockpool Beach Cafe is a great spot for lunch.

Marazion & St Michael’s Mount

This popular family beach on the south coast, near Penzance, has great views of St Michael’s Mount – walk there via a granite causeway at low tide.  It’s pretty sheltered, so is a good swimming, kayaking and SUPping spot.  There’s a lovely off road coastal bike route from Penzance harbour car park.
Lifeguards, Godolphin Arms pub, icecreams and toilets plus a play park. Easy parking.

Best for Families

Beautiful Carbis Bay and Porthminster beaches are Blue Flag awarded for their great facilities and cleanliness. They have gentle waves and are great for swimming, paddling and stand up paddle boarding. You can easily travel to Porthminster via the scenic park and ride train that runs from St Erth, along the coast, to St Ives.

Godrevy is brilliant for rockpools, wildlife and scenery. Porthmeor and Gwithian are the best surfing spots.

Marazion is great for easy access as you can park right next to the beach.  There is a children’s play park as well. You can walk, at low tide, across to St Michael’s Mount.

Sheltered Beaches

There are numerous gorgeous beaches to the north, west and south of Beersheba Farm.  On windy days, check out the weather and wind direction.  If the wind is from the north – head to the south coast, if it’s coming from the south, the north coast is your best bet.

Sheltered north coast beaches (for winds from the south/south-west/west): Carbis Bay, Porthgwidden and the Harbour in St Ives. Godrevy can be good is there’s an easterly breeze.

Sheltered south coast beaches: Porthcurno (near the Minack theatre), Porthleven and Praa Sands.

Best for Aquatic Adventures

Nearby Ocean Sports at Carbis Bay has kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and even a MEGA SUP.

Learn surfing at Porthmeor or Gwithian – lessons and equipment hire available at St Ives Surf School or Gwithian Surf Academy.

Kitesurfing is a real adventure in windy conditions – try CS Watersports Academy.

Try sailing, windsurfing and even wingsurfing/foiling at Stithians reservoir.

How about snorkelling – lots of great spots around St Ives? Or a kayaking safari or coasteering from Porthleven.

Want to snorkel with blue sharks – you can do that too! With Blue Shark Snorkel, in Penzance.

There are some brilliant dive spots all around West Cornwall, and diving lessons and equipment available from PADI centres at Helston and Falmouth.

Dog-friendly Beaches

These fabulous beaches are all unrestricted throughout the year:
Bamaluz (St Ives); Porthkidney (Lelant – walkable from Beersheba Farm); Gwithian, Mexico Towans and Harvey Towans (Hayle).

Some of our favourites that are fully accessible until the end of June and from 1 September:
Porthgwidden Beach and St Ives Harbour Beach (St Ives) and Godrevy Point (Hayle), Marazion (Penzance).  From 1 July to 31 August dogs are not allowed on these beaches from 10 am to 6 pm.

Cornwall Council Dog Restrictions Information

Beersheba to St Ives, via the Steeple
3.5 miles

Quiet cross-country route to St Ives, via footpaths and quiet lanes, and stopping at the spectacular Knill’s Monument overlooking St Ives Bay.
From Beersheba Farm entrance, take St Michael’s Way footpath signposted opposite until you join Laity Lane.  Follow for around a mile, before taking the footpath on your right to Knill’s Monument at the Steeple.
Head north from the Steeple, down through Steeple Woodland, cut down the lane past St Ives School, turn left past the school and head down Belyars Lane.  Keep to the steps and footpaths heading downhill, past the Albany, over the road and past the Porthminster Hotel, under the railway bridge and you arrive at Porthminster Beach!
3.5 miles one way, so get the bus or train back if needed!

Beersheba to Trencrom Hill
1.5 miles

A short but hilly walk using St Michael’s Way.
From the farm entrance, turn left and soon after take the style on your left (just past the entrance to Standing Stone Stables).  Cross this field and then into a second field, follow the hedge around 100 yards until a style on your right.
Climb this style to join the path that runs downhill behind the hedge to Bowl Rock at the bottom.  Cross over the road (caution – busy road) and then rejoin the path on the right behind Bowl Rock Chapel (now a house).  This path leads up through a field and over a gate to the road on the hill below Trencrom Hill fort.  Take a path up towards the crest of the hill.  Spectacular rock formations and remnants of the iron age hill fort (look for hut circles and a boundary wall) are visible on the top of the hill.
The views from the top cover both the north and south coasts, as well as St Michael’s Mount – well worth the trek!
1.5 miles one way – walk back when rested!

Beersheba to Porthkidney Beach
Approx 5 miles circular

A circular walk out to the South West Coast Path, and then to Porthkidney beach and back via Lelant.
Leave Beersheba Farm and turn right, walk down the road and take the first right behind Longstone Cemetery.
Cross over the road (caution busy road) and go down Church Lane.
As the road bears right take the footpath beside Gonwin Manor Cottages.  Turn left at the end of the footpath and walk to Headland Road.
Take a right down the lane towards the railway track.  Cross the railway track (caution unmanned crossing) to join the SW Coast Path (alternatively you can follow the footpath right from Gonwin Manor for 10-15 minutes until you reach the bridge over the railway track).
Turn right along the coast path and follow for 10-15 minutes until you reach the dunes and take a path left to the beach.  Walk along the beach and around the headland to Hayle Estuary (not possible at high tide).
Follow the river inland until you reach some steps on the right hand side.  Take the steps and the path up through the golf course and past St Uny’s Church, Lelant.
Turn right to return up via Church Lane, back past Gonwin Manor and back the way you came to Beersheba.

Places to eat and drink

There are lots of fantastic restaurants to tempt your tastebuds.  Una Kitchen is within easy walking distance – just opposite the farm entrance.  La Casita down the road offers tapas and Spanish food.  Carbis Bay Hotel has a beautifully placed Beach Club.  There is Beck’s fish and chips nearby.  St Ives has a plethora of pubs, restaurants, delis and takeaways as well as a farmer’s market (Guildhall – Thursdays) – see the St Ives Tourism Association website.

Events

From the Swellboard Shootout, the tantalising Food and Drink Festival on Porthminster Beach in May, the St Ives September Festival of music and the arts, St Ives in December and the ancient tradition of Feast Day – there’s plenty going on throughout the year.  Check out current events.

Wellbeing & Swimming

There is a Spa nearby (at Una St Ives), with treatments, massages and spa days available, as well as leisure facilities including an indoor pool.  Handy for a little holiday pampering!
St Ives Leisure Centre has an indoor swimming pool, fitness classes and gym with great ocean views  – Aiden Turner worked out here when filming Poldark!
The UK’s largest outdoor lido – the celebrated Jubilee Pool now has a geothermal heated pool, a cafe and is well worth a visit.